Shout out for this adventure sport company based out of Niseko, Japan.
They offer back country ski tours, shoeshoe treks, “snow rafting”, kayak trips and much more.
Even though I wasn’t a client, Lion Adventures helped me organize my transport to Mt Yotei when there was nobody else in town who could have helped.
Niseko is composed of six ski areas. It was in 2008 voted into the world’s top 10 ski resorts for the first time.
… Niseko was named as the world’s #2 snowiest resort in December 2007 with annual average snow fall of 595 inches (15.11 m) First place went to the Mt. Baker Ski Area in Washington State with 641 inches (16,300 mm). …
Though still very undeveloped, Niseko has been discovered. Property values are going up.
… I shouldn’t have been surprised that the girl at the desk had lived in the ski resort of Banff, Canada and had worked at my favourite restaurant. (Coyote Deli)
Yet it was 12:30pm before I started up the trailhead to climb Mount Yōtei out of Niseko, the most popular ski resort in Japan.
… often referred to as the “Mt. Fuji of Hokkaido” …
when has the weather been this good?
Here’s how the volcano looked when I came knocking.
Lonely Planet Hiking in Japan:
One of the toughest day hikes around with a 1500m climb up to a perfectly shaped volcano …
My guidebook called it 8-10hrs round trip. Signage said it took longer than that. There was no way I could make it this day.
… I started up.
Footing was good. Weather excellent (so far).
About half way up I met a savvy Japanese hiker already coming down. He was concerned at where I was on the mountain relative to the time. I assured him I’d be turning around quite soon.
… But you know, guys like me, Rob Hall & Gary Ball — we can push the turnaround time later than most.
And the weather actually got better instead of worse as I gained elevation.
When I saw the mountain hut I knew I’d make the top.
Normally manned by a warden, it had been locked up for weeks. Almost nobody hikes this late in the season.
I only stayed on the crater rim for about 3min as it was already 4pm. … And it gets dark starting about 4:30pm.
The second time on the crater rim I was furious. I’d dropped my camera in the snow when starting to RUN down the mountain. And then hustle back up. It’s now 4:20pm.
The welcome lights of the trailhead campground toilet. It’s 6:30pm.
The campground had been long closed. Yet incredibly the washrooms were left open and powered on. Thank-you Japan.
I tented here all alone, hoping to see one of the infamous pesky foxes. They’d long given up on the campground too.
… It is like a ski – snowboard – skateboard version of the Ridekick. Whereas the Ridekick is a self-propulsion system for bikes, the Skizee does the same thing for skis. …
Jökulsárlón (lit. “Glacier Lagoon”) is the largest glacier lagoon or lake in Iceland.
… it evolved into a lagoon after the glacier started receding from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The lake has grown since then at varying rates because of melting of the Icelandic glaciers. The lagoon now stands 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) away from the ocean’s edge and covers an area of about 18 km2 (6.9 sq mi). …
The size of the lagoon has increased fourfold since the 1970s. It is considered as one of the natural wonders of Iceland.
tourism promo photo
Some are ash covered, from recent eruption.
… The Jökulsárlón lagoon provides outstanding views of the Ice Cap, which is a vast dome of ice that rises to a height of 3,000 feet (910 m). It spills to the lagoon 12 miles (19 km) away from the jagged glacier hill to the edge of the water line. …
Iceland is a photographer’s dream. And this lagoon may just be the single most photogenic site on the island.
I do love icebergs.
click for larger image
Don’t miss the ocean shoreline, the other side of the bridge, far less visited than the lagoon.
… OK, it’s EARLY in the season (June 13-14). The hordes have not yet arrived. It was closed 4 days not so long ago due to eruption of the Grímsvötn volcano, a fairly frequent occurrence, actually.
There are plenty of hiking & glacier walk options from this trailhead. Most are headed to Svartifoss.
hikers consulting the Trails map
The only backcountry tenting allowed out of Skaftafell Visitor Centre is Kjos (see map below), at the start of an unusual glacial flood plain valley called Morsárdalur.
One of the bridges had been washed out, so I needed to go in-and-out to Kjos via the same ‘route’ (It’s not signed all the way.)
Here I’m taking the easiest Morsá river crossing.
Water crossings are the biggest challenge when hiking this island. I can see why Alastair Humphreys took a packraft on his crossing of Iceland, unsupported.
Aside from the route finding, Kjos is a pretty easy walk without much elevation gain.
There’s the campsite, just coming into view.
I set up here instead, under a rock overhang.
Instead of scrambling adjacent peaks, I relaxed in the tent. The weather was a continuous drizzle. Visibility was poor, anyway.
This hike reminded me of similar walks towards glaciers in the Yukon. But a big difference here are the big, black desolate areas of volcanic ash. Stark and photogenic.
I’d love to do a long walk over the ash black wasteland one day. It would be like crossing salt flats.
Svartifoss (Black Fall) is a waterfall in Skaftafell … Iceland, and is one of the most popular sights in the park.
It is surrounded by dark lava columns, which give rise to its name. The hexagonal columns were formed inside a lava flow which cooled extremely slowly, giving rise to crystallization. Similar well-known lava formations are seen at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, and on the island of Staffa in Scotland. …
After seeing the unique falls, I continued on to the Skaftafellsjökull glacier overlook.
The most famous hike in Iceland opens June 15th. Or 17th. Or 20th. Or later.
It’s been a hard, cold Spring.
I had hoped to do the trek before the official opening, to avoid the hordes. That’s not going to happen.
Today I drove to the campground at Skogar, one of the trailheads. Two young German guys had just come out. There’s still a LOT of snow and mud. It’s not fun.
They convinced me not to go.
… so I’m looking for an alternative backcountry hike, perhaps 75km, over the next few days.
Following Dan’s terrific 3 days at Fitz Roy, they immediately headed for the Ice Fields:
… At 16,800 square kilometers, the Ice Field is the second largest in the world and I’m completely awe-struck when we arrive at the high point of the ominously named Paso Del Viento (Pass of the wind). The view in every direction is pure ice, with amazing swirls and patterns …
Crossing a glacier-melt river was their biggest challenge.
Jostedalsbreen National Park, in the Sognefjord region of central Norway, is home to continental Europe’s largest ice sheet – the Jostedal glacier – which spills over from a high plateau into a succession of dramatic lake-filled valleys and fjords.
Although Jostedalsbreen is a popular tourist destination (you’ll see plenty of tour buses at the best-known spots) the hiking trails in the region – which given the forbidding topography tend to be steep and strenuous – don’t seem to be well-known outside Norway. …
A few good day hikes:
• Climbing the Skala
• Briksdalsbreen
• Storevatnet trail from Briksdalen
… Norway is expensive, …
Prices range from the merely high (hotel rooms, rental cars) to the eyewateringly exorbitant (restaurant meals, alcohol of any kind).
Camping is very popular in Norway (in addition to official campgrounds, you see impromptu campsites in many rural areas) so for a visit on the cheap you might consider taking a tent and buying food in supermarkets.
Phil Armitage posted an excellent trip report of their 2010 adventures on the Slims West trail, 64km (40mi) return.
Here’s their view from Canada Creek campsite:
… From the campsite at Canada Creek it’s 19km (12 miles) roundtrip, with 1200 meters (3,900 feet) of climbing, to the summit of Observation Mountain.
That doesn’t sound like a particularly strenuous day hike, but there’s Canada Creek to cross (twice, with the second crossing likely be harder than the one on the way out, as the water level rises during the day) and no trail for most of that distance.
The summer days are long at these high latitudes but still, don’t underestimate the time required. Most of the parties we met found the hike to be harder and longer than they had anticipated. …
… On my trip I never made it past the first creek crossing.
Route finding is tricky. You might need gills to cross some streams in flood. And know that there’s been at least one hiker killed by bear there. Parks Canada shuts it down when the bears are sighted.
Phil recommends special footwear for the water and mud.
Shout out for this adventure sport company based out of Niseko, Japan. 
besthike.com 